What does Titus 1:1 mean?

Titus begins with a standard letter-writing format, which included the sender, recipient, and a greeting. The sender is Paul, a former persecutor of Christians, who was formerly known as Saul (Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1–3). He encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, where he planned to arrest Christians. Instead, Saul believed in Jesus, changed his name to Paul, and was baptized (Acts 9). Thirteen of Paul's letters are included in the New Testament, known as the Pauline Epistles (Romans through Philemon). These make up nearly half of the books of the New Testament.

Paul considered himself "a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ." The Greek term Paul used is doulos, which means a "slave," or a "bond-servant." As a willing servant, Paul was bound to follow God's commands. Paul also claims to be an apostle—from a Greek word meaning "sent one"—and a missionary of the good news of Jesus as the Messiah. He served "for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth," a phrase referring to Christians and their spiritual growth. He served in a way "which accords with godliness," meaning one which would be approved by God.